Chapter Twelve — Suit Up
The locker room buzzed with excitement as Class 1‑A opened their numbered cases. Metal latches clicked, fabric rustled, and the air filled with the sound of twenty futures unfolding at once.
Takeshi stood before Case #4.
He lifted the lid.
Inside lay his hero costume.
Takeshi's Costume
It was exactly what he'd requested — functional, durable, and built for combat.
A sleeveless, reinforced tactical vest in deep charcoal gray, layered over a compression shirt designed to withstand the strain of his density shifts. The vest's plates were flexible but dense, meant to distribute force and protect vital organs without restricting movement. He could take it off if he decided to use his quirk across all of his chest and back, but having it allowed him to save energy by not keeping his quirk constantly active for defense.
His arms were bare — intentionally.
When he reinforced his muscles and skin fully and increased his density to have metamorphic rock protrusions, sleeves would only tear. Better to leave them exposed.
The pants were military‑cut, reinforced at the knees and hips, with a utility belt carrying spare straps, first‑aid items, and reinforced gloves. Heavy combat boots completed the ensemble, their soles designed to handle the shock of his increased weight.
It wasn't flashy. It wasn't colorful. It wasn't symbolic.
It was practical.
It was him.
Takeshi ran a hand along the vest's surface, feeling the weight of it — literal and metaphorical.
This was the uniform of the hero he intended to become.
Class Reactions
Kirishima whistled. "Bro… you look like you walked out of a special forces unit. That's manly as hell!"
Sero nodded. "Yeah, dude, that's legit."
Ojiro added, "It suits your quirk. Smart design."
Uraraka blinked. "Whoa… you look kinda scary. In a cool way!"
Midoriya scribbled frantically in his notebook. "S‑Sleeveless design to accommodate quirk activation… reinforced plating… tactical boots… this is incredibly efficient—!"
Bakugo scoffed loudly. "Tch. Looks like you're trying too hard."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow and responded, "Coming from the one with giant grenades on his hands?"
Bakugo shoulder checked him to no effect and walked out of the locker room saying, "Just you wait, I'll show you what they can do real soon."
Todoroki, passing by, paused for a moment and looked at his costume. "It's practical. That's good."
Coming from him, that was high praise.
Once everyone was suited up, the class gathered in the training hall. The air hummed with anticipation.
Then—
BOOM.
All Might burst through the opposite door, cape flaring dramatically.
"I SEE YOU'VE ALL SUITED UP! SPLENDID!"
The class erupted into cheers again.
Takeshi stood straighter. Even now, even knowing the truth, seeing All Might in full form stirred something deep in his chest.
Pride. Pressure. Resolve.
All Might strode to the center of the room.
"NOW THEN! LET US BEGIN… HERO TRAINING!"
He struck a pose so powerful it sent a gust of wind across the hall.
Heroes vs. Villains Explanation
All Might held up two large cue cards — one labeled HERO, the other VILLAIN.
"THIS EXERCISE WILL SIMULATE A REAL‑WORLD SCENARIO! TWO TEAMS WILL FACE OFF INSIDE A BUILDING!"
He pointed dramatically at the class.
"The Villains will guard a nuclear device! The Heroes must capture it! OR capture the villains! And the villains must prevent the heroes from getting to the device or capture the heroes!!"
He grinned.
"IT'S A TEST OF COMBAT, STRATEGY, AND TEAMWORK!"
Bakugo cracked his knuckles. Midoriya swallowed hard. Todoroki remained unreadable. Takeshi felt his pulse steady — ready.
All Might clapped his hands.
"AND NOW… THE PAIRINGS!"
A large screen lit up behind him.
The screen behind All Might flickered to life, blue text scrolling as the randomized teams appeared.
One by one, the pairings solidified:
Team A — Izuku Midoriya & Ochako Uraraka
Team B — Katsuki Bakugo & Tenya Iida
Team C — Shoto Todoroki & Momo Yaoyorozu
Team D — Eijiro Kirishima & Minoru Mineta
Team E — Fumikage Tokoyami & Tsuyu AsuiTeam
F — Denki Kaminari & Mina Ashido
Team G — Hanta Sero & Mezo Shoji
Team H — Mashirao Ojiro & Koji Koda
Team I — Yuga Aoyama & Toru Hagakure
Team J — Takeshi Yagi & Kyoka Jiro
A ripple of reactions spread through the class.
Kirishima blinked. "Huh? Mineta? Well… alright! Let's make it manly, little dude!"
Mineta immediately burst into tears. "Kirishimaaaa, protect meee!"
Kirishima sighed. "This is gonna be rough."
Jiro glanced at Takeshi, eyebrow raised. "Guess we're partners."
Takeshi nodded. "Understood."
Jiro smirked. "Relax, big guy. I don't bite."
Midoriya looked relieved not to be paired with Bakugo. Bakugo looked furious not to be paired with Midoriya. Todoroki remained unreadable. Uraraka pumped a fist. "Let's do our best, Deku!"
All Might clapped his hands, voice booming.
"THE FIRST MATCH WILL BE… TEAM A VS. TEAM B!"
Midoriya froze. Bakugo grinned like a predator.
Takeshi watched them both, expression steady.
This was going to be interesting.